Back to Belmore

Media Statement

22 August 2011

Fifteen months after much-awaited plans were unveiled to bring Belmore Sports Ground back to life with a $4.9 million upgrade from the Federal Government, a delegation from Back to Belmore, the leading advocate for the venue's restoration and preservation as a multi-purpose sporting facility, last week visited the spiritual home of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

President Luke Brailey, Operations Manager Steven Cataldi, Treasurer Tony Karam and Goodwill Ambassador Mazen Safkouni were at Belmore Sports Ground on Friday to inspect the work in progress at the historic venue.

Inspecting the construction site for the first time, Mr Brailey couldn't wipe the smile off his face as the hammers continued banging.

"Six years ago, we were told that this would never happen. According to the mean-spirited cynics, Belmore's future as a sporting facility was dead in the water," he said.

"We never gave up, because we always believed in what we were trying to accomplish. The future of the next generation of sports players was at stake. We knocked on doors, walked the streets, waved petitions in front of tens of thousands of peoples faces over the past six years, and we are now at a place where this venue has a very bright future thanks to visionaries like Tony Burke [Federal MP for Watson] and Todd Greenberg [Bulldogs CEO] who have turned our dream into a reality."

The upgrade to Belmore Sports Ground is expected to be completed by the end of the year.